Door for refrigerator

ABSTRACT

An outer door of a door for a refrigerator according to the present invention has a front portion defining a front surface, and first and second side portions defining side surfaces of the door by being bent rearward from both lateral sides of the front portion. A door bracket made of synthetic resin is connected to a rear end of the second side portion to define a part of one of the side surfaces. A door liner defining a rear surface of the door is fixed to a rear end of the first side portion and to a rear end of the door bracket. An inner frame for supporting the both side surfaces of the door upon contraction of a foaming liquid injected into the interior of the door comprises a first supporting portion that is in close contact with an inner surface of the first side portion, a second supporting portion that is in close contact with an inner side of the door bracket, and a supporting bar for connecting and supporting the first and second supporting portions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly,to an inner frame for a refrigerator, which prevents damage to anexternal appearance of a door due to contraction generated upon coolingof a foaming liquid that has been foamed in the interior of the door forthe refrigerator.

2. Description of the Prior Art

FIG. 1 exemplarily shows a sectional view of a conventional door for arefrigerator.

As shown in the figure, the door 1 comprises a metallic outer door 3defining a front surface, and a door liner 5 defining a rear surface ofthe door 1. Decoration caps 7 are attached to upper and lower endsurfaces of the door 1, respectively, and decoration covers 9 areattached to both side surfaces of the door 1, respectively.

The interior of the door 1 defined by the outer door 3, the door liner5, the decoration caps 7 and the decoration covers 9 is filled with afoaming liquid. The foaming liquid filled into the door is solidified toform an insulation layer 10 that insulates an inner storage space of therefrigerator from the outside of the refrigerator.

However, the conventional door for a refrigerator constructed as abovehas the following problems.

As described above, the foaming liquid that has been foamed in theinterior of the door 1 is solidified to from the insulation layer 10.However, while the foaming liquid that has been foamed in the interiorof the door 1 is solidified, the volume of the foaming liquid decreases.As the volume of the foaming liquid decreases, there may be a risk thatan external appearance of the door 1 will be distorted.

Such distortion of appearance of the door 1 may cause a poor externalappearance of the door as well as various other problems. For example,the deformation of the decoration covers defining the side surfaces ofthe door may cause distortion of the shape of a gasket for preventingleakage of cold air, so that the deformed gasket cannot completely sealthe inner storage space of the refrigerator. In case of a side-by-sidetype refrigerator in which a gasket (not shown) provided at a sidesurface of the door 1 is in close contact with a gasket provided at aside surface of another door (not shown), the deformation of thedecoration cover 9 of the door 1 causes the gaskets not to be incompletely close contact with each other. Therefore, there is adisadvantage in that cold air in the storage space hermetically closedby the door 1 leaks out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is conceived to solve the aforementioned problemsin the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide adoor for a refrigerator, which can prevent an external appearance of thedoor from being distorted.

According to the present invention for achieving the objects, there isprovided a door for a refrigerator, comprising an outer door having afront portion defining a front surface, and first and second sideportions that define side surfaces and are formed by being bent rearwardfrom both lateral sides of the front portion; a door liner connected torear ends of the side portions to define a rear surface of the door; andan inner frame having first and second supporting portions that are inclose contact with inner surfaces of the first and second side portions,respectively, and a supporting bar for connecting and supporting thefirst and second supporting portions.

In order to ensure a smooth flow of a foaming liquid injected into theinterior of the door to form an insulation layer, the supportingportions and the supporting bar may be formed with a plurality ofopenings.

The supporting portions and the supporting bar may be perpendicular toeach other. This is more advantageous to prevention of deformationcaused upon contraction of the foaming liquid.

In another embodiment, the door may comprise a plurality of supportingbars, and at least one reinforcement member for connecting thesupporting bars to one another in a vertical direction.

A door for a refrigerator according to a further embodiment of thepresent invention comprises an outer door having a front portiondefining a front surface, and first and second side portions that defineside surfaces and are formed by being bent rearward from both lateralsides of the front portion; a door bracket that is made of syntheticresin and connected to a rear end of the second side portion to form apart of one of the side surfaces; a door liner fixed to a rear end ofthe first side portion and to a rear end of the door bracket to form arear surface of the door; and an inner frame having a first supportingportion that is in close contact with an inner surface of the first sideportion, a second supporting portion that is in close contact with aninner side of the door bracket, and a supporting bar for connecting andsupporting the first and second supporting portions.

In a still further embodiment, the door bracket may be connected to thesecond side portion by inserting a flange extending inward at the rearend of the second side portion into an insertion groove that is openoutward at a front portion of the door bracket.

The door bracket may be provided, at an outer surface thereof, with aninstallation space for receiving a door gasket to be installed therein.

The first supporting portion may comprise a contacting section that isin close contact with the entire first side portion, and a supportingsection formed inward from the contacting section, and the firstsupporting portion may be connected to the supporting bar at thesupporting section.

The second supporting portion may be in surface contact with and supportthe door bracket.

The second supporting portion may be in close contact with and supportedby a seating step with a tip extending inwardly from the door bracket.Upper and lower ends of the second supporting portion may be supportedby a pair of supporting protrusions formed on the door bracket, so thatthe second supporting portion can be firmly supported without a verticalplay.

The first supporting portion may be made of synthetic resin, and thesecond supporting portion and the supporting bar may be made of metal.Outer surfaces of the door bracket and the second side portion of theouter door may be flush with each other.

According to the present invention constructed as above, even though thefoaming liquid is contracted during solidification of the foaming liquidthat has been foamed in the interior of the door for the refrigerator,the inner frame securely supports both inner surfaces of the door,thereby preventing distortion of an external appearance of the door.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following description ofpreferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial side sectional view showing a conventional door fora refrigerator;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing an example of a door with aninner frame according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of a door bracket in thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the inner frame in the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary front view showing a relationship between theinner frame and a first supporting portion; and

FIG. 6 is an exemplary rear view showing a relationship between theinner frame and the first supporting portion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a door for a refrigeratoraccording to the present invention will be described in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of a door for a refrigerator according toan embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 shows a door bracket inthe present invention, and FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an innerframe in the present invention.

A shown in the figures, the door 30 of this embodiment comprises anouter door 31 defining a front surface and both side surfaces; a doorliner 35 defining a rear surface of the door; a door bracket 37 defininga part of one of the side surfaces of the door; and an inner frame 40provided in the interior of the door to secure rigidity.

The outer door 31 defining the front surface of the door is made ofmetal and comprises a front portion 32 defining a front appearance ofthe door 30 and side portions 33 and 34 bent at both lateral ends of thefront portion 32 at a right angle to define appearances of the both sidesurfaces of the door 30.

The front portion 32 can be modified in view of its design. For example,a central portion can be rounded convexly. Further, the first sideportion 33 of the side portions 33 and 34 defines an entire appearanceof one of the side surfaces of the door 30, and the second side portion34 of the side portions 33 and 34 defines a front part of the other sidesurface of the door 30.

Flanges 33 a and 34 a are formed at rear ends of the side portions 33and 34, respectively. The flanges 33 a and 34 a are used for installingthe door liner 35 and the door bracket 37 to be described below. Theflanges are bent inward at the rear ends of the first and second sideportions 33 and 34, respectively, to face each other and then extend bypredetermined lengths.

Moreover, the door liner 35 is made of synthetic resin and defines therear surface of the door. The door liner 35 may be provided, at a rearsurface thereof, with a certain receiving space for mounting a doorbasket (not shown) used for receiving articles therein. The flange 33 aof the first side portion 33 is fixed to one side surface of the doorliner 35, and a rear end of the door bracket 37 to be described below isfixed to the other side surface of the door liner.

Further, decoration caps (not shown) are mounted at upper and lowersurfaces of the door 30 even in the present invention. The outer door31, the door liner 35 and the door bracket 37 are fixed to peripheriesof the decoration caps.

The door bracket 37 is installed at the rear of the second side portion34 of the door 30 and is made of synthetic resin. The door bracket 37 islongitudinally elongated to correspond to the length of the door 30while having a predetermined width.

Moreover, an insertion groove 37 a is formed longitudinally at a frontend of the door bracket 37. The insertion groove 37 a is open outwardfrom the door bracket 37 and is formed to be elongated longitudinallythroughout the door bracket 37 so that the flange 34 a of the secondside portion 34 can be fixedly inserted thereinto.

In a state where the flange 34 a of the second side portion 34 has beeninserted into the insertion groove 37 a, it is preferred that outer sidesurfaces of the door bracket 37 and the second side portion 34 be flushwith each other. To this end, portions of the door bracket 37 on bothsides with respect to the insertion groove 37 a are stepped in height asmuch as the thickness of the second side portion 34.

Furthermore, a flange 37 b is provided at a rear end of the door bracket37, which corresponds to a side opposite to the insertion groove 37. Theflange 37 b is used for fixing the door liner 35 and the door bracket 37and is in close contact with an inner surface of an end of the doorliner 35. The flange 37 b is also formed to be longitudinally elongatedthroughout the door bracket 37.

Additionally, the door bracket 37 is provided with a seating step 37 c,and a pair of supporting protrusions 37 d spaced apart vertically fromeach other at an interval. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the seating step37 c protrudes substantially perpendicularly from an inner surface ofthe door bracket 37 toward the first side portion 33 and has apredetermined height. A front end of a second supporting portion 45 ofthe inner frame 40 to be described below is seated on the seating step37 c. The seating step 37 c has a sufficient dimension enabling theseating step 37 c to come into contact with and support at least a partof the second supporting portion 45.

The pair of supporting protrusions 37 d are provided on the innersurface of the door bracket 37 to be spaced apart from each other at adistance corresponding to the vertical length of the second supportingportion 45. Accordingly, in a state where the second supporting portion45 is seated on the seating step 37 c, upper and lower ends of thesecond supporting portion 45 are supported by the upper and lowersupporting protrusions 37 d, respectively.

An installing space 38 is formed at one side of the door bracket 37throughout the entire length of the door bracket. The installing space38 is a space in which a gasket (not shown) provided at the door 30 willbe installed.

Meanwhile, the inner frame 40 is installed in the interior of the door30 to reinforce rigidity against an external force generated when afoaming liquid is contracted. The inner frame 40 is to support the bothside surfaces of the door 30, and comprises first and second supportingportions 41 and 45, which are in close contact with inner sides of theboth side surfaces of the door 30, respectively, and supporting bars 46for connecting the first and second supporting portions 41 and 45 toeach other, as shown in FIG. 4.

The first supporting portion 41 is made of synthetic resin such asplastic, and comprises a contacting section 42 with one side in closecontact with an inner surface of the first side portion 33 and a fixingsection 43 provided at an inner surface of the contacting section 42.The contacting section 42 and the fixing section 43 are formed with aplurality of openings 42 a and 43 a through which the foaming liquid tobe foamed in the interior of the door 30 can flow, respectively.

It is preferred that the contacting section 42 be formed to be elongatedlongitudinally and front and rear ends of the contacting section be inclose contact with an edge between the front portion 32 and the firstside portion 33 and with an edge between the first side portion 33 andthe flange 33 a. That is, it is preferred that the contacting section 42of the first supporting portion 41 be in surface contact with the entirefirst side portion to prevent the occurrence of a play in a fore and aftdirection. Further, it is preferred that the fixing section 43 extendinwardly at a substantially central position on an inner surface of thecontacting section 42. More preferably, the fixing section 43 isperpendicular to the contacting section in view of rigidity.

The second supporting portion 45 is in close contact with the innersurface of the door bracket 37. It is preferred that the secondsupporting portion 45 be made of metal and also formed with a pluralityof openings 45 a through which the foaming liquid flows. It is preferredthat the length of the second supporting portion 45 correspond to thatof the first supporting portion 41, and the width of the secondsupporting portion 45 in the fore and aft direction correspond to adistance from the seating step 37 c to the rear end of the door bracket37. It is desirable that the second supporting portion 45 be in surfacecontact with the inner surface of the door bracket 37 to stably supportthe door bracket 37. Therefore, it is desirable that the secondsupporting portion 45 extend rearward to have a certain area as in theillustrated embodiment.

Meanwhile, an end of the second supporting portion 45, which is in thevicinity of the rear surface of the front portion 32, is seated on theseating step 37 c. In the state where the end of the second supportingportion 45 is seated on the seating step 37 c as described above, theupper and lower ends of the second supporting portion 45 are supportedby the supporting protrusions 37 d.

Both ends of each of the supporting bars 46 are fixed to the first andsecond supporting portions 41 and 45, respectively, so that thesupporting bar 46 substantially supports the both side surfaces of thedoor 30. It is desirable that the supporting bar 46 be perpendicular tothe first and second supporting portions 41 and 45. The supporting bar46 is made of metal, and the supporting bar 46 is also formed with aplurality of openings 46 a through which the foaming liquid flows.

As for embodiments of fixing the end of the supporting bar 46 to thefirst supporting portion 41, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the fixingsection 43 is formed with a plurality of fastening holes 44 a and isprovided with fastening slots 44 b in the vicinity of the fasteningholes 44 a. Further, catching steps 44 c are provided at a front end ofthe fixing section 43 in the vicinity of the fastening slots 44 b.

Meanwhile, at least one fastening bracket 47 and fastening hook 48 areprovided at the corresponding end of the supporting bar 46. Each of thefastening bracket 47 and the fastening hook 48 extends by apredetermined length outward from the end of the supporting bar 46 andis formed by longitudinally cutting out the end of the supporting bar46.

A front surface of the fastening bracket 47 is in close contact with arear surface of the fixing section 43, and the fastening bracket 47 isformed with fastening holes 47 a corresponding to the fastening holes 44a of the fixing section 43. In the state where the fastening bracket 47is in close contact with the fixing section 43, a screw S penetratesthrough the fastening hole 47 a of the fastening bracket 47 and isfastened to the fastening hole 44 a of the fixing section 43. Thefastening hook 48 is inserted into the fastening slot 44 b from the rearof the fixing section 43 and a catching protrusion 48 a of the fasteninghook 48 penetrates through the fastening slot 44 b and is then caught bythe catching steps 44 c.

As described above, the supporting bar 46 can be securely fixed to thefirst supporting portion 41 in such a manner that the fastening bracket47 is fastened to the fixing section 43 by the screw and the fasteninghook 48 is caught by an end of the catching step 44 c after penetratingthrough the fastening slot 44 b.

It is preferred that the other end of the supporting bar 46 be fixed tothe second supporting portion 45 by means of welding. However, themethod of fixing the supporting bar 46 to the second supporting portion45 is not limited thereto. It is possible to use other mechanicalelements so far as both the second supporting portion 45 and thesupporting bar 46 can be securely fixed to each other.

Further, the structural rigidity of the inner frame 40 can be enhancedmore greatly by installing a reinforcement member 49 for connecting theplurality of supporting bars 46. The reinforcement member 49 is made ofmetal and connects the plurality of supporting members 46 in a verticaldirection by means of welding or the like. In the illustratedembodiment, the reinforcement member 49 is welded vertically to thesupporting bars 46 at positions in the vicinity of the first supportingportion 41. Moreover, the reinforcement member 49 is also formed with aplurality of openings 49 a so that the foaming liquid can flowtherethrough.

Next, a process for assembling the door for a refrigerator according tothe present invention will be described.

First, an end of each of the supporting bars 46 is fixedly welded to oneside of the second supporting portion 45. Then, the reinforcement member49, which vertically connects the plurality of supporting bars 46 fixedto the second supporting portion 45, is fixedly welded to the supportingbars 46 at proper positions. In the illustrated embodiment, thereinforcement member 49 is fixed to the supporting bars 46 by means ofwelding at positions on a side opposite to the second supportingportion. Accordingly, the supporting bars 46 are connected to oneanother by the second supporting portion 45 and the reinforcement member49.

In such a state mentioned above, the front surface of the fasteningbracket 47 of each of the supporting bars 46 comes into close contactwith the rear surface of the fixing section 43 of the first supportingportion 41. At this time, the fastening hole 44 a of the fixing section43 and the fastening hole 47 a of the fastening bracket 47 are locatedto correspond to each other. The fastening hook 48 of the supporting bar46 penetrates through the fastening slot 44 b of the fixing section 43.

The catching protrusion 48 a of the fastening hook 48, which haspenetrated through the fastening slot 44 b, is caught by the catchingstep 44 c of the fixing section 43. Then, the screw S is caused topenetrate through the fastening holes 47 a of the fastening bracket 47and to be fastened to the fastening hole 44 a of the fixing section 43so that the first supporting portion 41 and the supporting bar 46 arefixed to each other. When the inner frame is completely assembledthrough the above processes, the door is assembled as a whole.

First, to assemble the door 30, the front portion 32 of the outer door31 is placed on a floor, and the flange 34 a of the second side portion34 of the outer door 31 is inserted in the insertion groove 37 a of thedoor bracket 37 so that the door bracket 37 is fixed to the second sideportion 34. Then, the decoration caps are fixed to the upper and lowerends of the outer door 31 and the door bracket 37.

In this state, the inner frame 40 is installed in the interior of thedoor 30, i.e., the space defined by the outer door 31, the decorationcaps and the door bracket 37. To this end, the first supporting portion41 of the inner frame 40 comes into close contact with the inner surfaceof the first side portion 33 of the outer door 31.

Further, the second supporting portion 45 of the inner frame 40 comesinto close contact with the inner surface of the door bracket 37. Atthis time, the front surface of the second supporting portion 45 isseated on the seating step 37 c of the door bracket 37, and the upperand lower ends of the second supporting portion 45 are supported by thepair of the supporting protrusions 37 d of the door bracket 37, so thatthe inner frame 40 is firmly supported.

When the inner frame 40 is completely installed as described above, theflange 33 a of the first side portion 33 and the flange 37 b of the doorliner 35 come into close contact with and are fixed to the inner surfaceof the door liner 35. Then, the foaming liquid is injected into theinterior of the door 30 via an injection port (not shown).

The foaming liquid injected into the interior the door 30 is solidifiedafter lapse of a predetermined period of time to form an insulationlayer. Accordingly, with the solidification of the foaming liquid, theinner frame 40 is completely fixed in place within the interior of thedoor 30. Thus, the process of assembling the door 30 is completed.

However, since the foaming liquid is contracted during thesolidification, external forces that act toward the interior of the doorare exerted on the respective surfaces defining the door 30. Accordingto the present invention, since the both side surfaces of the door aresecurely supported by the inner frame 40, deformation of the both sidesurfaces of the door 30 can be prevented.

The deformation of the door 30 caused by changes in the volume of thefoaming liquid is significantly generated at the door bracket 37 made ofsynthetic resin. According to the present invention, since the doorbracket 37 is supported in the state where it is in close contact withthe second supporting portion 45 of the inner frame 40, the door can besupported without deformation due to the external forces generated bythe contraction of the foaming liquid.

Further, since the inner surface of the first side portion 33 of thedoor 30 is firmly supported by the first supporting portion 41 made ofsynthetic resin, the first side portion 33 of the door can alsosufficiently resist against the deformation caused by the contraction ofthe foaming liquid.

According to the present invention described above, it can be understoodthat the basic technical spirit of the present invention is to installthe inner frame, which supports the both side surfaces of the door forthe refrigerator, within the interior of the door.

With the inner frame of the door for a refrigerator according to thepresent invention, it is expected to obtain the following advantageouseffects.

First, during solidification of a foaming liquid that has been foamed inthe interior of the door for the refrigerator, it is possible to preventdamage to an external appearance of the door caused by decrease in thevolume of the foaming liquid.

Since the deformation of side surfaces of the door is prevented, a sidesurface of the door is in close contact with a side surface of anotherdoor, thereby preventing leakage of cold air within a storage space ofthe refrigerator.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications can be made thereto without departing from the scope andspirit of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the presentinvention should be construed as being defined by the appended claims.

1. A door for a refrigerator, comprising: an outer door having a frontportion defining a front surface, and first and second side portionsdefining side surfaces, the first and second side portions being formedby being bent rearward from both lateral sides of the front portion; adoor liner connected to rear ends of the side portions to define a rearsurface of the door; and an inner frame having first and secondsupporting portions that are in close contact with inner surfaces of thefirst and second side portions, respectively, and a supporting bar forconnecting and supporting the first and second supporting portions. 2.The door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting portions and thesupporting bar are formed with a plurality of openings.
 3. The door asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting portions and the supportingbar are perpendicular to each other.
 4. The door as claimed in claim 1,comprising a plurality of supporting bars, and at least onereinforcement member for connecting the supporting bars to one anotherin a vertical direction.
 5. A door for a refrigerator, comprising: anouter door having a front portion defining a front surface, and firstand second side portions defining side surfaces, the first and secondside portions being formed by being bent rearward from both lateralsides of the front portion; a door bracket made of synthetic resin, thedoor bracket being connected to a rear end of the second side portion toform a part of one of the side surfaces; a door liner fixed to a rearend of the first side portion and to a rear end of the door bracket toform a rear surface of the door; and an inner frame having a firstsupporting portion that is in close contact with an inner surface of thefirst side portion, a second supporting portion that is in close contactwith an inner side of the door bracket, and a supporting bar forconnecting and supporting the first and second supporting portions. 6.The door as claimed in claim 5, wherein the supporting portions and thesupporting bar are formed with a plurality of openings.
 7. The door asclaimed in claim 5, wherein the supporting portions and the supportingbar are perpendicular to each other.
 8. The door as claimed in claim 5,comprising a plurality of supporting bars, and at least onereinforcement member for connecting the supporting bars to one anotherin a vertical direction.
 9. The door as claimed in claim 5, wherein thedoor bracket is connected to the second side portion by inserting aflange extending inward at the rear end of the second side portion intoan insertion groove that is open outward at a front portion of the doorbracket.
 10. The door as claimed in claim 5, wherein the door bracket isprovided with an installation space at an outer surface thereof, theinstalling space receiving a door gasket to be installed therein. 11.The door as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first supporting portioncomprises a contacting section that is in close contact with the entirefirst side portion, and a supporting section formed inward from thecontacting section, and the first supporting portion is connected to thesupporting bar at the supporting section.
 12. The door as claimed inclaim 11, wherein the second supporting portion is in surface contactwith and supports the door bracket.
 13. The door as claimed in claim 11or 12, wherein the second supporting portion is in close contact withand supported by a seating step with a tip extending inwardly from thedoor bracket.
 14. The door as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein upperand lower ends of the second supporting portion are supported by a pairof supporting protrusions formed on the door bracket.
 15. The door asclaimed in claim 5, wherein the first supporting portion is made ofsynthetic resin, and the second supporting portion and the supportingbar are made of metal.
 16. The door as claimed in claim 5, wherein outersurfaces of the door bracket and the second side portion of the outerdoor are flush with each other.